Earth mover and bulldozer



Oct. 23, 1945. c, jLL 2,387,656

EARTH MOVER AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet l Elma/WWO cam /m1.

1945- E. c. GLEDHILL 2,387,656

EARTH MOVER AND 'BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 23 3mm E. C. q'LED/IILL Oct. 23, 1945.

Fild June'2'7,, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet s E- C. GL E DH/L L.

Oct. 23, 1945. E. c. GLEDHILL EARTH MOVER AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 o '2 1 45- E. c. GLEDHILL 2,387,656

EARTH MOVER AND BULLDOZER Filed Jun 27, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 EARTH MOVER AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARTH MOVER. AND BULLDOZER Edward C. Gledhill, Gallon, Ohio Application June 27, 1944, Serial No. 542,273

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a grading attachment for tractors.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachmentjor'a tractor includin a scoop and means for raising and lowering the scoop.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment of this kind which includes a scoop capable of being tilted or swung to an inverted position whereby the device may be used as a bulldozer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which embodies the'use of hydraulic means for raising or lowering the scoop.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind whereby the scoop may be elevated above the tractor when in filled position so that the material picked up by the scoop may be transported to the desired position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a. releasable gate for the scoop for retaining the material in the scoop when the latter is in either a partly or a completely elevated position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts through the several views,

Figure 1 is/a detailed side elevation of an attachment of this kind mounted on a tractor, the scoop being shown in the bulldozing position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the scoop lowered and in a digging position.

Figure 3 is a detailed side elevation of the de vice with the scoop in partly elevated position.

Figure 4 is a detailed side elevation of the device with the scoop in an elevated position.

Figure 5 is a top plan of the device.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--6 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5, the gate for the scoop being in closed position.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in detail showing the latch for the gate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I8 designates generally a frame structure including a pair of elongated channel bars II which are adapted to be secured in any suitable manner to the side of the tractor T. The frame |8 has secured to the channel members II at a point between the ends thereof upstanding plates l2 having rearwardly offset bosses l3. A pair of upwardly extending lengths 14 are pivotally secured at their lower ends as at l5 to the bosses or bearings I3, and the upper ends of the lengths H are bifurcated as at It, and the rear ends of arcuate scoop supporting beams H are pivotally secured between the arms of the fork or bifurcation IE on pivot members I8.

A second pair of elongated links or bars l9 are pivotally secured as at 28 adjacent the rear ends of the channel members I and are pivotally secured as at 2| to the arcuate supporting members l1 at a point forwardly of the pivotal members l8. Preferably, the links l9 are provided adjacent their rear ends thereof with obtusely inclined lower portions 22 as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. The pivotal member 2| is constructed in the form of a transversely extending shaft which extends between the two arcuate members l1 and in like manner the pivotal member I8 is constructed in th form of a shaft extending between the two links l4 so as to hold these links against lateral movement relative to each other.

The supporting members H are adapted to be raised or lowered by means of a hydraulic lifter, generally designated as 23 and which comprises a cylinder 24 having a piston 25 slidable therein. The lower end of the cylinder 24 is pivotally secured as at 26 to a plate 21 carried by the channel member I I, and the upper or outer end ofthe piston 25 is provided with an eye 28 engagin the outer end of the shaft or pivot member 2|. The cylinder 24 has connected to the lower end thereof a pipe or pressure line 28 which is adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure supply, and the upper portion of the cylinder 24 also has connected thereto a pressure line 23.-

When the piston 25 is being raised, pressure line 23 constitutes the return line for returning the fluid to the source of pressure, and when thepiston 25 is being lowered, the line 28 constitutes the return line.

The two supporting members l1 have pivotally secured to the forward lower ends thereof a scoop 38. The scoop 38 is mounted on pivot :members 3| which engage through lugs 32 carried by the rear wall of the scoop, and preferably the rear i U- h ped in transversesection and is secured to the supporting members H at a point above the lower or forward ends thereof.

The two links 38 and are pivotally connected together as at 43, and in order to prevent the links from being disposed in alignment when the scoop 38 is in a bulldozing position as shown in Figure 1, the link 38 is provided with a stop lug 44 at the rear end thereof, which is adapted to engage the lower edge of the link 48. In practice there are two of these links 38 positioned on opposite sides of the link 48 and the lug 44 engages between the two links 38. Each link 38 is formed with a. cutout 45 so that the links 38 may swing inwardly toward the rear wall 33 and overlap the upper angle member 36.

In order to provide a. means whereby the scoop 38 may be latched in a digging position, I have provided a pivoted latching member 46 which is pivotally mounted as at 41 on a pivoted bar 48. Thebar 48 is pivotally mounted on the pivot 38 and is swingable within the bracket 42. The bar 48 is provided with a nut 48 through which a threaded adjusting shaft 58 engages. The adjusting shaft 58 is rotatably carried by bearings which are carried by the arms or supporting members ll, and a handle 52 is secured to the rear end of the shaft 58. There may be two of these bars 48, one carried by each supporting member I1 on the outer side thereof.

The latch 46 is adapted to be released from engagement with the upper edge of the rear wall 33 by means of a releasing link or lever 53 which is secured at one end to the latch 46, and the lever 53 has secured thereto one end of a latch releasing cable or flexible member 54. The cable or releasing member 54 i adapted to be extended upwardly and rearwardly, being trained through a sheave 55 carried by one of the supporting members H. In practice there need be only one of these latch members 46 at one side of the frame structure. The flexible member 54 may be trained about a winding drum 56 which is rotatably carried by one of the supporting members I! adjacent the rear thereof.

.A gate or closure 51 is adapted, when in closed position, to engage over the front end of the scoop 38 as shown in Figure 3. The gate or closure I 51 includes a plate 58 which is secured to a pair of arcuate bars 59 extending upwardly and rearwardly from the plate 58 and terminating in straight extensions 68.

The extensions 68 are pivotally mounted on pivot member 6| carried by a pair of ears 62 which extend upwardly from the nut 49. The

adjustment of the lever or link 48 will not only adjust the latch member 46 but will also adjust the position of the gate 58 with respect to the forward end of the scoop 38. The two plate supporting members 59 are connected together by means of a shaft 63 as shown in Figur 5, and a lever 64 is secured to the shaft 63 adjacent one of the plate supporting members 59. A flexible gate lifting member 65 is secured at one end to the lever or arm 64 and the flexible member 65 is trained over a sheave 66 carried by an adjacent supporting member H and is then wound about the winding drum 56.

The gate 51 may be releasably held in open position by means of a pair of elongated rods 61 which are pivotally mounted as at 68 on supporting car 69 carried by the scoop 38 adjacent the rear of the scoop. The rods 61 are formed at a point above the lower end with at least one notch or keeper 18 with which .a latching sleeve II is adapted to engage. The sleeve II is slidable on the rod 61 and is secured to an ear 12 fixed to the shaft 63.

As shown in Figure 2, the gate 51 is latched with the rods 61 and is held in an upraised position so that the scoop 38 may be lowered to an operative or digging position. After the scoop has been filled, lever 64 may be pulled upwardly, thereby releasing the latching sleeve II from the notch or keeper 18.. The gate 51 may then drop gravitatingly downwardly to the closed position shown in Figures 3 and 7.

In the use and operation of this device, the frame I8 is secured to the opposite sides of the tractor T, and the fluid lines 28 and 29 may be connected to a suitable pump or fluid pressure supply. When it is desired to use the scoop 38 for digging, the supporting members I! are lowered to the position shown in Figure 2, and the ate 51 is raised as here shown. After the scoop 38 becomes filled with material as shown in Figure 3, the fluid pressure may be discharged through line 28 in the lower portion of cylinder 24, thereby raising the supporting members II.

The scoop may be raised to any desired position, Figure 4 showing substantially the extreme elevated position of the scoop. When it is desired to dump or discharge the scoop, latch 46 is raised by pulling on flexible member 64 whereby the scoop 38 will gravitatingly swing downwardly. The scoop may again be latched in its digging position by lowering the supporting members II or by moving the tractor T forward and backward rather quickly so as to cause the scoop 38 to swing upwardly.

In the event it is desired to use the scoop 38 as a scraper or a bulldozer, the bottom wall 34 may be disposed in a vertical position, as shown in Figure 1. Latch 46 at this time is in a released position, and gate 51 is also raised to the position shown in Figure 1. The scoop 38 will be held with the bottom wall 34 vertical by means of the links 38 and. 48.

This attachment will provide a combined di ging, scraping and earth shifting member which can be readily mounted on any suitable tractor so that a varied number of operations may be performed which are not ordinarily capable of being performed by shovels or scoops at present available.

The attachment is relatively simple in construction, and by providing the hydraulic power means for raisingand lowering the scoop, the raising and lowering operation may be performed very quickly and to any desired degree without danger of any cables such as used with numerous devices of this kind breaking.

What is claimed is:

1. An earth working attachment for a tractor comprising a pair of frame members for mounting on the tractor, a scoop at the forward ends of said members and having a face adapted for relative disposition in at least a substantially horizontal dig ng position and a substantially vertical bulldozin position, a pair of scoop supporting bars pivotally secured at their forward ends to said scoop. pairs of links pivotally secured to said frame members and to the 'rear ends of said bars, releasable latch means for latching said scoop with its said face in a substantially horizontal digging positiomand-pairs of pivotally connected links connected to said bars and said scoop for holding the same face of the scoop in a dependent substantially vertical bulldozing position.

2. An earth working attachment for a tractor comprising a scoop having a race adapted for relative disposition in at least a substantially horizontal digging position and a substantially verticalbulldozing position, means swingably supporting the scoop at like forward end of said tractor, means releasably latching said scoop with its said face in a forwardly directed substantially horizontal digging position, means for raising or lowering said supporting means, and means for holding said scoop with the same face in a downwardly directed substantially vertical bulldozing position.

3. An earth working attachment for a tractor as set forth in claim 2 including a swingable closure for said scoop operable independently of the latter.

4. An earth working attachment for a tractor comprising a pair of frame bars for securing to the tractor, a scoop at the forward ends of said bars, a pair of elongated longitudinally curved supporting bars pivotally secured at their forward ends to said scoop, a pair of upstanding bearing plates fixed to said bars. a pair of upstanding links pivotally secured at their lower ends to said plates and pivotally secured at their upper ends to the rear ends of said supporting bars, a second pair or links pivotally carried by the rear portions of the frame bars and pivotally secured to said supporting bars forwardly of said first links, hydraulic means for raising and lowering said supporting bars, and releasable latching means for said scoop.

5. An earth working attachment for a tractor as set forth in claim 4, including a closure for said scoop, swingable supporting means for said closure carried by said supporting arms. and releasable latch means for latching said closure in released position.

6. An earth working attachment for a tractor as set forth in claim 4, including a closure for said scoop, swingable supporting means for said closure carried by said supporting arms, a pair of elongated bars pivotally carried by said scoop and formed with keepers. and latching sleeves carried by said latter supporting means for holding said closure in inoperative position disengaged from said scoop.

EDWARD C. GLEDHILL. 

